Renew it or lose it: Lawmaker asks voters not to skip ballot question on lottery amendment

This fall, Minnesotans will vote on whether to renew a proposal earmarking some money from the state lottery to fund environmental programs, including parks projects, conservation and clean water efforts.

Back in 1988, voters approved a Minnesota constitutional amendment dedicating a portion of lottery proceeds to the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. Since then, voters have thrice renewed the proposal. However, a new provision this year reserves 1.5 percent of funds for projects in underserved communities.

Rep. Athena Hollins, DFL-St. Paul, sponsored the 2023 bill to reauthorize the earmark and told MPR News that the change would help ensure money doesn’t just go to large organizations.

“Think like University of Minnesota, Conservation Minnesota, groups that have been well established and also have the time and staffing to be able to apply to this grant process,” she said. “And so what we're trying to do is provide an opportunity for other organizations, maybe smaller organizations, organizations that are more community-led and focused, grassroots, to be able to access a tiny amount of this money and hopefully then grow to be able to participate in the full LCCMR process.”

LCCMR, or Legislative-Citizen Commission on Minnesota Resources, is a group of legislators and citizens that makes funding recommendations to the legislature for the use of the trust’s money. Through that process, it’s allocated $1.5 billion to more than 2,600 projects since its founding in 1963.

Last month, a group of more than 130 conservation and environmental organizations and businesses announced they’d campaign together to convince voters to support renewing the amendment which needs a clear majority to pass. Since it’s a constitutional amendment, leaving the ballot question blank counts as a no-vote — and some proponents told MPR News they were worried the presidential election and other races would overshadow this.

“I think when people understand the question, they are wholeheartedly in favor of it, and I think it’s one of the things that unites us as Minnesotans: We love the outdoors, and we will protect it,” Hollins said. “It’s really important that people not just look at it and say, ‘Well, that sounds like a good idea.’ They need to proactively vote yes for it.”